The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-10-13
P0WDERLY'S ADDRESS.
rho Grand Master , workman,s
Annual Address.
He eeathinely Bebairss Those mcmbors
Whe Give support 10 Anarchls,s and
Places s's nesirnH,lnn la the
Hands Of assembly,

mheter NOfhuhH IOMucriy read his annual
nddress to tho General Assembly Of the
Knights Of Labor this afternoon. II was
contained IN a pamphlet Of sixty-fouI
closely printed pages, and occupid foui
hours In delivery. Tho speaker started
with the statement that tho last session oi
the General Assomblywns amid the clamol
Of dlsconionted men, thewarring OF factions
and dissensions within the ranks, which
were enlarged upon and Scattered to Tho
world by enemies within aud without To
day there was but Que Objectionable feature
which stood In the way OF the success oi
the convention. aud this was OF so unim-
portant d nature that he would not refer u
H. The delegates understood this 10 refer
TO the Anarchist resolution and thore was
applause and counter applause.
a sharp rap OF tho gavol restored order
and tho speaker ut once plunged into the
history Of tho Chicago Stock Yards strike
OF last yeas, which was summarily ended
by The executive board. This occupied tho
attention OF tho convention for over an
hour. All tho correspondence which passed
between the General Master Workman the
officers OF tho assemblies on strike, and
Mcssrs. Barry and Carlton, OF the execu-
tive board, who visited Chicago at the time
10 investigate the trouble, was read in do
tail Incidentally the speaker charged that
the message ordering tho strike OF, which
YVES .prematurely published, was picked
on the owircs and given TO the press by
eomohody connected with the telegraph
scryiec,n
| The speaker next went into the question
OF ''the order aud Anarchy He saidi ~
have never, as has been so often asserted
Ia the press OF the land, eonfounded Social.
ism with Anarchy Idraw wide line OF
distinction between the two, MS every read
| ing, thinking man must Whedover have
had occasion 10 say anything concerning
| Annrchy,it has been reported that nssailed
Socialism. l have said very little concern
ing either bne except from the public plat
| FORM aud TO my mind altogether too much
prominence has been given TO the subject
| by the press, Within the order not enough
OF interest has been awakened until lately,
| regarding tho matter. IL was taken for
| grunicd that the order, being so large and
Influential, could AFFORD 10 ignore the qucs-
| ton and could afford TO put up with he
| presence of a few OF the raDkest Anarch.
ists. | have thought otherwise, and be.
cause have lakcn issue with these men IN
their efforts 20 make tho order OF the
| knights OF Labor subordinate to the elc.
meni known ~ tho Anarchist element,
have been taken % task more than once.
| Some Of our prominent members, IN sneak
ing OF these things, have said 'Powderly
is only speaking for himself whom he as
sails tho Anarchist will lay the case
before this General Assembly. aud when /
have done so will nsk OF this body TO say
whether | was fight or not will also TASK
OF the General Assembly 20 define the po-
sition OF the order on the attempts that
have been made To prostitute II TO such base
uses as the Anarchists would put IL.
~ have never publicly uttered state
mont regarding The course OF tho seven
mon condemned TO death In Chichgo. l
will now give my opinion. II these men
did not have a fur trial, such as is guaran.
teod every man In he U1!ted States, then
thoy should be granted a new trial II
they have not been found guilty OF murder
they should not bo hanged. II they are TO
be hanged for the action Of others, II is not
just The man who threw the bomb IN
Chicago should be hanged and ms accom-
plices should receive the punishment
allotted to such offences by the laws of the
state Of Illinois,
Before tho public hnvo never said
word concerning these men. ] have never
felt called upon TO say anything, for II Is
none Of my business; yet some OF their
friends have put words OF condemnation in
my mouth In order 20 have me say some.
thing In their favor ! allowed Il 10 20 as
tho many false reports concerning me
went, unnoiced. 1 felt that II they could
stand II / could.m
Continuing, the speaker said that his
connection with Anarchy within the order,
dated from November %, 1885, when he re-
coved letter from Mrs. Rodgers, Master
Workman OF District Assembly No "a, OF
Chicago, ndvising him that resolution OF
sympathy with the Anarchists had been
passed by the body, and that meanwhile it's
members were knowing heaven and earth
TO secure the release Of the condemned
men and 10 utilize the order for building
up political party, TO bo controlled and
manipulated by tho Anarchists and sympa-
thizors rs propaganda OF the no farious
doctrines concerning the domestic circle,
government and land tenure.n Then fol-
lowed voluminous correspondence inter
sporsed with comments. By inference the
speaker denied that he helped TO down
Robert Nelson, the labor nominee for Mayor |
OF Chicago, or that he had forbidden the |
members OF the order TO attend tho funeral |
OF Mrs. Neebc, tho wife OF the imprisoned |
Anarchist. These and other charges were |
denounced as impairment and rascaly.
Tho speaker denied that because the |
General Assembly At Richmond reQ(ai
mendcd the condemned men TO the M
OF Governor Oglesby, the entire order Il
committed TO their unqualified support, |
and Omitted that there were times during |
the year, when il was with the greatest |
difficulty that tho order was saved from
crisis over this matter.
Concluding, Mr. Powderly said; ~ have |
not in any way intcrferco ia tho internal |
affairs Of any of the various societies to
which any OF these men may belong, and in
doing what did, | faithfully carried out |
the Instructions received from my pre-.
doccssor and havc lived up 10 the obliga-
ton l took when installed as Master
Workman. / place them before you so that
steps may be taken TO put q stop TO the in
tcrference OF Anarchists in affairs of this
order. ! am not actuatcd ny malice, spite,
desire for revenge, or for any other pur-
pose than to shield the order from the at
tucks OF men who have grown
Insane on the subjsct Of bringing |
tho millennium 10 o few after
they have blown the many 10 atoms. The
resolution which should pass is one TO de-
mand that every avowcd Anarchist should
be Obliged to Withdraw from tho order or
bo expelled. We have nothing TO fear from
tho trades union, but everything to fear
from the contaminatiug influence OF the
mon who preach destruction in the name Of
our order and who, at the same time, assert
that they ore Socialists, while giving the
lie 10 every principle OF Socialism when
they advocate violence OF any kind. ! be-
lieveit to DO tho part OF duty for mo to
warn our order when its very life is in
Danger, when II Is threatened from any
source, and knowing that the destruction
Of The Knights Of Labor was planned ~ .